He opened his eyes to pin Sophie with a threatening glare. “Why did you never send word to me? I could have saved him and spared my sister and me so much heartache!”
Sophie shook her head miserably. “Once we returned to London, Lady Fremont sacked Amy anyway. I shouldhaveknown she would, but—”Her voice broke, but she continued on, even as shameful tears began to stream down her face. “Amy and I ran away tothe country, and for a time I did everything I could to forget what Lady Fremont and I had done.It was difficult for a time, but I managed to secure a position as a serving maid.So manytimes I had thatpaper in front of me,willing myself to write to you,but the words just…wouldn’t come.What would I say? Would you even believe me?”
She stood, her hands shaking at her sides. “When Amy died two years later, I knew it was penance for what I’d done. I packed up what little I had and convinced one of my regularpatronsto forge a letter of recommendation for me. I moved to Brighton and became Lady Harvey’s companion. She was a widow with no children,and I felt that I would be safe, that I could fade into the background.” She hugged herself. “I hated coming to London. I was always fearful that I would see you or Lady Fremont. For five long years I tried to forget it all. Itried. But today when you walked intothemuseum, all of the guilt came rushing back.”
She walked over to Travell and clutched his jacket. “Pleaseforgive me. I know what I did was wrong, but I was young and scared, afraid that I would meet the hangman’s noose, or worse. But I don’t care anymore. I just want it all toend.”
As she fell silent, Travellwatchedhersob, tears coursingdown her cheeks. For a moment, he warred with his conscience, but in the end, he realized the most important thing that had to be done. “All I want from you is a confession. I willtake care ofLady Fremont, but you must agree to testify against her.”
She nodded fervently. “You have my word.”
Amelialeaped toher feet. “Travell! This cannot be borne! You can’t just let the chit go free after the part she played in all of this!”
Travell kept his gaze steady on Sophie and thought of Alyssa and what she would do if she were here. He was confident it would be the same. “The way I see it, Mother,” he said quietly. “The only crime she committed was trying to help someone she cared about. How can I fault someone for that?”
His mother had just opened her mouth to dispute this claim when there was a brisk knock at the study door. “My lord,” his butler said upon entering. “An urgent missivejust arrived from Rosewood from the Duchess of Chiltern.”
Travell’s nervesimmediatelywent taut as he grabbed the letter from the tray.He broke the seal to read a few scribbled words that struck terror into his heart.
I hope this message reaches you before you leave London. Alyssa has been taken.Lordand LadyLockleyplan to commit her, with the assistance of Lady Fremont, to Ticehurst Hospital. If you hurry, you might be able to catch them. Please, bring her back home to Rosewood.
—T
Travell crumpled the note in his fist. His father had been Lady Fremont’s victim, and now the woman he lovedhad been targeted.
Soon,Lady Fremontwould behisto grind beneath his bootheel.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Our helpless ‘Little Mouse’ has been caught in a trap of her own making.” Caroline’s mocking words were meant to cut, but Alyssa was too numb to react. She continued to stare out the window of the carriage as it rattled and bounced across the dark countryside. She refused to plead for her life, knowing that it would fall on deaf ears.And if there was one thing Alyssa still possessed, it was her dignity.
Besides, her cousin was the only one who could intercede on her behalf,and from the moment he’d sat down in the carriage, he’d withdrawn a flask from his jacket pocket, which he’d been nursing ever since.
Insteadof lamenting her current existence,Alyssacomforted herself with memories of Travell. She thought back to the day she’d been walking among the fallen leaves around Breyton Hall, and how she’d topped the hill tosee the Curdiff carriage pulling into the drive of Rosewood. She never imagined that after knowing the viscount for most of her life, it would only take a fortnight for her to fall completely and irrevocably in love with him. Although she’d harbored atendrefor him for years, it was nothing compared to what she felt now. There was no way she could possibly go to America now, even if she was free to do so. It would hurt her too much to be parted from him.
Tears stung her eyes as she thought of all the times Travell had proposed.At first, she imagined that it had all been in jest,and later, she was waiting for it to mean as much to him as it had her. Now she might have missed her only chance at true happiness.
Alyssa Abernathy.She had to admit it had a certain ring to it.
It would havebeenthe most wonderfulbirthday present if she might haveheldthe title of Viscountess Curdiff.Instead, it appeared that she would be celebrating her twenty-fifth year in a private cell somewhere in East Sussex.
A heavy sigh escaped her, one that did not go unnoticed by Caroline’s mother. “It won’t be much longer now,” Lady Fremontgoaded. “Once you are gone, Travell will be so preoccupied trying to free you that I will finally be able to finish what I started all those years ago.”
At this, Alyssa turned her head. Faced with the maniacal look in the older woman’s eyes, she had no doubt Lady Fremont was the one who was truly insane. “What are you talking about?”
“Lord Trenton, of course.” She snorted and rolled her eyes, as if Alyssa was dense. “I don’t know how the earl managed it, but he escaped from Ticehurst after I had him committed, and found his way back to Rosewood.”
Alyssa’s eyes widened at this revelation. “You’re the reason he’s been gone for the past seven years? Why would you do something like that?”
“Toputthat whore wife of hisin her place,of course.To make her suffer as I have suffered.” She lifted her chin and a ghost of a smile touched her lips. “She stole my husband from me, but that was a mistakeheshall regret for the rest of his days.”
Alyssa was almost afraid to ask. “What happened to him?”
“I—”
“Mama!” Caroline broke in. “Surely it isn’t necessary to relay every single detail.”
Lady Fremont blinked and then laughed. “Of course, you’re right.” She glanced at Alyssa. “In a few hours you will no longer be our problem. That’s all you really need to know.”
